Thread: cad500parts

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Barb, is this the company you are speaking about:

http://www.cad500parts.com/history.htm

If so, here is the guy who you want to talk to:

My name is Courtney Hines, president of Flashcraft, Incorporated, here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here’s a brief rundown on the collective experience the Cad Company performance engine parts has to draw from. I’ve been around these big Cad’s quite a while. I worked at a local Cadillac dealer years ago from 1972 until 1979. One day, a friend and fellow wrench, Marty Dike, and I (after many “what if?” discussions), decided to make a street sleeper out of a ‘70 Coupe DeVille. When I woke up and realized the strip was a lot safer, I started campaigning it in brackets and Super/Street. In ‘77 at the NHRA Bracket Finals, I put it solidly in the 11’s at 4500 lbs. at Bill Heilscher’s Green Valley Race City in Texas,
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It looks like Flashcraft is the parent company of cad500:

Thanks for showing interest in the 8.2 Litre Cadillac engine family. Cad Company was originally known to everyone as "Cadillac Motorsports Development" (CMD) , which was founded by Larry Kruzick in 1984. The business was purchased by Flashcraft, Incorporated in January, 2001. All the same products and services have carried over, with many new products and services added. . . . .
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If this is them, I would think Courtney Hines would love to know how a customer of his is being (mis)treated, and how you are a member of a forum where you have "mentioned" your displeasure with his company. I take it you have been dealing with an underling, so I agree with Kurt that you need to move up the food chain and voice your displeasure with good ol Courtney. If I were in his shoes I would WANT you to call and let me know what is going on.

Don

don thank you so very much. saves me alot of time knowing exactly who i need to talk to.

Hi Barb, hope you get the parts in soon and you can move ahead with the project.

I hope you don't mind but I have a suggestion while you have some down time. Looking at the list of things you have done to the engine, there are 2 items I would really do before you put the engine in the car.

The first it to change the timing chain and the other is to replace the valve seals. With the mileage on the engine chances are this is something that has never been done.

The factory timing set uses an upper gear with nylon teeth. Normally these last around 100,000 miles, but I have seen them disintegrate at a lot lower mileage simply due to age when an older engine is put back in service. The same is also true of the valve seals.

Besides the obvious problems that happen when the timing chain or valve seals fail (the engine not running in the case of the timing chain and smoking with bad valve seals) the plastic pieces that fall off will migrate to the oil pan where chances are they will plug the oil pickup screen, or worst case make it past the screen, lock up the oil pump and shear the pin that holds the distributer drive gear.

Neither job is really bad to do with the engine out, but it’s not going to be fun to do the chain and or seals in car, let alone pulling the pan to clean all the crap out.

That's an excellent suggestion Mike. I had a 63 Bonneville do exactly that. The pickup had fallen off the pump (I never knew except that when I was coming to a stop the oil light would momentarily come on) Then one day I lost oil pressure totally. When I tore it down I found a tooth of the plastic timing gear had broken off and got sucked into the open oil pump, where it jammed up the gears and broke the oil pump driveshaft.

I replaced it with a later steel timing set, fixed the driveshaft and pump, and was back in business. Another good thing to do on an unknown engine is to drop the pan and clean out any sludge. Also not a bad idea to change the oil pump while you are in there............I know they go for thousands and thousands of miles, but it is just sooooooooooo much easier to drop the pan while the motor is sitting on an engine stand than once it is down in the car.

Also check for other things that might give you problems later, like freeze plugs that might start weeping from age, any oil leaks, etc. Every time I took a short cut and didn't do the above mentioned things it came back and bit me later on.

Don

“………Every time I took a short cut and didn't do the above mentioned things it came back and bit me later on…….”

Aint that the truth Don, and very good suggestion about the freeze plugs too. The thing about the timing chain, freeze plugs and valve seals is you’re probably talking around $100 in parts and can save tons of aggravation and down time in the near future.

Not to hijack the thread but…….the oil pump is externally mounted on the big Cads and unless the there is a problem or it doesn’t clear the suspension parts the current thinking by the guys running these engines is to use the original pump if it’s in good shape (which Barbs probably is). The main reason for this is that a lot of the new aftermarket pumps have a problem that causes the pressure relief valve to hang up and the engine loses oil pressure. If you buy a new pump I would suggest buying a “blue printed” version that has had this problem taken care of (but be prepared to spend about $150).

I would have loved to use my original pump on mine as it was in beautiful shape, but unfortunately it wouldn’t clear the sway bar and I had to go with the later 425 style that tucks the oil filter in closer to the engine.

i will do as you guys suggested about the timimg chain and valve seals. i cleaned the block thoroughly and looked for any leaks. i let it hang in the air for 2 days and saw nothing. on another note after calling cad 500 for 2 days and not getting a answer i got a email last night from the guy i spoke too. he apologized for being short with me and said that i caught him on a bad day. that my parts were shipped express so i would get them before the weekend and if i needed him for anything else to let him know. i replied thank you so much and that i fully understood as we all have bad days.

I think he should have given you a free aluminum intake for being so rude. Well, that's good. How did he get word that you were displeased with his attitude? Maybe they saw this thread. I hope so as companies have to realize when we are displeased with their service the internet allows us to forewarn others that they may have a similar experience. Isn't technology wonderful?? I know lots of manufacturers who do lurk on various forums to see what good or bad feedback they are getting.

Don

Glad to hear this Barb. Sometimes we all have bad days, doesn't mean it's o.k. to take it out on others, though. At work, even if a patient's family is driving me nuts, I keep calm, and think how would I want to be treated right now. It's amazing what acknowledging someones concerns does for their attitudes! Wish this guy could of kept it cool, but glad he fessed up to it and appologized. Now back to the Caddy!

i was very surprised by the email. i would have cancelled the order but no other place makes the parts any more. but he does not have to worry about another order from me if there is any place else that sells the parts. i truly understand bad days. but i was a customer and he should have known better than to act like that. i feel sorry for his family.

Barb, you sound like a very kind person. Glad you have the parts coming. I'm anxious to see how this project turns out, should be a fun ride. Remember, if more power is good, then too much is just right!

:lol: Thanks biff.